Bicyclists in Louisville, Ky., are about to right a wrong committed
there 105 years ago.

It was in Louisville in 1894 that the League of American
Wheelmen, then the governing body of bicycle racing, voted to ban
blacks. The color line, and subsequent maneuvering over the governance
of the sport, had a particular effect the career of an up-and-coming
rider from Indianapolis named Marshall W. "Major" Taylor.

Racial segregation relegated young Taylor to blacks-only
racing clubs. By the end of 1896, a year after moving with his coach and
employer to Worcester, 18-year-old Taylor was the undisputed black
champion of America. But he aimed to be the fastest bicycle rider in the
world, period.

In the Northeast, where the color line had been opposed,
Taylor encountered more open-mindedness, and the league allowed him to
enter the pro ranks. Still, racial intolerance was an obstacle on and
off the race track.

Because he was black, Taylor was refused entry to key races in
the South and was sometimes denied lodging while on the road. White
riders conspired against him, and the hostility sometimes turned
violent. One opponent hauled him off his bike and choked him into
unconsciousness. When Taylor bought a house in well-to-do Columbus Park
in Worcester, the white neighbors were alarmed and tried to buy it back.

Nonetheless, Taylor kept his eyes on the prize, and his
perseverance paid off. At the end of 1898, the 20-year-old
"Worcester Whirlwind" held seven world records. In 1899 in
Montreal, he won the world championship in the one-mile sprint. He was
the second black world champion in any sport, after bantamweight boxer
George Dixon.

Next weekend, the League
of American Bicyclists -- a successor to the 19th-century league,
though it is now an advocacy group and does not govern racing --
convenes in Louisville for its national rally and annual meeting.

League president Earl Jones, an African-American who lives in
Louisville, is asking the league's board of directors, in remembrance of
Major Taylor, to formally repeal the color line established in 1894.

The league has no records indicating the ban on black members
was ever officially revoked, according to Jones' proposed resolution,
which will be put to a vote Saturday. The heart of the resolution reads:
"The board of directors hereby disavows the action of the 1894
League of American Wheelmen convention, repeals the 1894 resolution and
reaffirms our commitment to diversity of membership."

Jones always wondered why he saw so few African-Americans in
bike clubs and bike races, especially after Taylor had reached such
prominence in the 1890s. When he learned of Louisville's role in the
league's history, he took it to heart.

"It was clear that this was the time and place to make
amends for that historic wrong," Jones said. "And what better
way to do it than to pay tribute to one of its victims, a man who
exemplified the continuing struggle of all cyclists to be the best they
can be at their sport.

"Finally, I hope that the League, by taking this step,
can lead cycling into more diverse and representative
participation."

Sports historian Andrew Ritchie, author of the biography
"Major Taylor," will be the featured speaker at the Louisville
gathering. Junior national track cycling champion Giddeon Massie, 17, of
Lansdale, Pa., a black rider inspired by Taylor, will be honored.

Locally, the Major
Taylor Association is planning a centennial tribute to
the 1899 champ July 23 at Quinsigamond State Park in Worcester. More on
that in July.